RUSSIAN OLIGARCH OWNED
Mandryk: Province needs plan to protect jobs at Evraz

MAKE IT A WORKERS COOP

Murray Mandryk 

© Provided by Leader Post Now is the time for Premier Scott Moe to step up with plan that secures the Evraz Steel Milll's operations in Regina and deals with any profits going to oligarchs.

We need meaningful action to ensure profits from Evraz Steel are no longer benefitting Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich and other oligarchs who’ve propped up Vladimir Putin and his war on Ukraine.

What’s so far been proposed by NDP Leader Ryan Meili may be unworkable. That said, it’s arguably better than what’s been offered by the Saskatchewan Party government that has been sidestepping a messy, difficult situation.

As such, we shouldn’t simply dismiss what the NDP is suggesting. It’s at least a place to start.

“Do you own it for a period then discharge it? Do you own a controlling share and then sell it? Or, do you own it and continue to own it?” Meili said to reporters last week while calling for Abramovich to be cut off. “That really requires a deeper conversation.”

It surely does. This is no trifling matter. It requires rock-solid assurances we are not violating our corporate ownership laws, constitution and, frankly, the very democratic freedoms Putin aims to destroy in Ukraine. But we need to have this conversation. It’s absolutely necessary.

Meili’s comments came immediately after the United Kingdom announced on Thursday its own imposition of sanctions on oligarchs in England including Abramovich, who owns the Chelsea football team which is now restricted from signing players and selling tickets.

The move by the British has raised serious questions about the Russian billionaire’s assets here, which include 28.64 per cent of shares of Evraz. At least Abramovich owned the assets until Feb. 16 — eight days before the attack on Ukraine — when his shares were transferred to a holding company.

Premier Scott Moe offered his “full confidence” operations at the Regina steel mill are unaffected: “they are not connected but separate from the global and European operations.” The premier has no basis to say this.

Dealing with the Evraz situation now may be better than dealing with the aftermath — something that must also be realized by unions at Evraz, who are bristling at Canadian government sanctions.

“The Prime Minister says the sanctions will not impact domestic workers at Evraz and we will hold his feet to the fire to ensure Canadian workers will not be harmed by the sanctions imposed on Abramovich,” Scott Lunny, United Steelworkers Western Canadian director, said in a statement to media last week.

Evraz’s shares — suspended from trading Thursday — have been in free fall. Moe’s notion that Abramovich is just “a minority shareholder” and a statement from Evraz that Abramovich is not considered “a person exercising the effective control” are out of touch.

We need a plan. We need the provincial Ministry of Justice — in collaboration with the federal government — to seriously explore the options to deal with the Evraz asset in Regina and, thus, protect steelworkers’ jobs.

This could be an uncomfortable conversation, but tough decisions by this government are not unprecedented.

Brad Wall in 2010 took steps to stop the $38.5-billion BHP Billiton hostile takeover of the Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan.

Some argued such provincial interference would scare away international investment in the province, but BHP Billiton is now building the Jansen potash mine that is the largest in the world.

Unfortunately, the penchant of Moe and his version of the Sask. Party government is to play petty politics — especially when it comes to any suggestions from the NDP Opposition or anything the federal Liberal government does.

But as such, now would actually be the ideal time for Scott Moe to step in and show the kind of leadership we need right now.

Others besides Meili are also suggesting that we should consider freezing Abramovich’s assets in an open and transparent manner and ensuring Evraz profits go to Ukrainian relief aid. This shouldn’t even be partisan, given all assemblies are offering unanimous support for Ukraine.

This could be accomplished with party-support from all levels of government. It could save jobs at a company that could soon be in trouble.

It is time for Moe and his Sask. Party government to step up.

Mandryk is the political columnist for the Regina Leader-Post and the Saskatoon StarPhoenix.

Metis Nation of Alberta appeals court decision regarding provincial consultation policy

By Jacob Cardinal, 

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Alberta Native News
Tue., March 15, 2022

(ANNews) - The Metis Nation of Alberta (MNA) has appealed a recent court decision regarding the Alberta government’s termination of negotiations with the organization over the creation of a provincial consultation policy.

The MNA argue that they have been in an agreement with the two previous Alberta government’s to create a consultation policy, but shortly after coming into power in 2019 Indigenous-relations Minister Rick Wilson ceased negotiations without cause.

The policy being drafted would have created a framework for the government on how to consult with the Metis Nation on matters such as provincial resource development.

In response to Kenney’s decision, the MNA sued the Alberta government in June 2019 claiming that the government breached the honour of the crown. This includes the constitutional duties and obligations Alberta owed the MNA after five years of negotiations.

The MNA filed for a judicial review of the Minister’s decision to end negotiations.

In the litigation, the Alberta government denied any negotiations with the MNA, therefore never having breached the honour of the crown. They also denied any duty or obligations to the MNA.

When the lawsuit was filed, MNA president Audrey Poitras was quoted as saying, “Alberta deilberates endlessly on whether to consult with Metis communities using a case-by-case approach that is tangled in red tape and that Alberta’s own bureaucrats have admitted does not work.”

“This is systematic racism in action,” she said.

POLITICS THROUGH LITIGATION
Metis National Council files a multi-million dollar lawsuit

In January of 2022, the Metis National Council (MNC) filed a multi-million dollar lawsuit in the Ontario Superior Court against:

- The Manitoba Metis Federation (MMF);

- former MNC president Clement Chartier;

- current MMF president and former MNC vice-president and minister of finance David Chartrand;

- former MNC executive director Wenda Waytteyne;

- and at least a dozen other individuals.

Newly-elected MNC president Cassidy Caron released a statement in late January saying that an audit of the MNC had “uncovered agreements, contracts and consultation arrangements that may be questionable in nature.”

Based on the findings and consultation with legal counsel, the lawsuit was filed.

The MNC alleges that the previous administration operated a scheme that caused financial damage to the organization, while bettering the position of the MMF on the national stage.

The statement of claim reads in part, “MNC’s claims arise from a scheme perpetrated by each of Chartier, Chartrand, MMF and Watteyne in the Province of Ontario to intentionally cause severe financial harm and other injury to MNC, and to correspondingly benefit, among others, themselves, upon their departures from MNC in the summer of 2021.”

Clement Chartier was the president of the MNC from 2003 to 2021. Shortly after his departure, Chartier was hired by the MMF to act as an ambassador for international and inter-nation relationships for a “new government” the MMF was reportedly forming.

The statement of claim alleges that the defendants had, "embarked upon a scorched earth policy to intentionally cause financial harm and other injury to MNC, recognizing that MNC and MMF would now be competing to be the legitimate or recognized authority and voice of the Métis Nation going forward."

The lawsuit is reportedly seeking $15 million in damages, as well as $1 million in punitive damages.

MNC president Caron said of the matter, "We need to understand what happened at the MNC prior to my election. We deserve truth, we deserve justice, and we deserve to put a period on the past and we deserve to finally move forward together.”

While many issues were brought up in the lawsuit, some of the more notable accusations by the MNC include: $1.5 million in wrongfully paid lump sums, inappropriate severance payments, and the transfer of a “vital” database of archival and genealogical materials to the MMF without approval of board members.

None of the allegations have been proven.

However, the national zeitgeist seems to favour the the Caron administration as the Metis Nations of Saskatchewan, Alberta, Ontario and British Columbia have all issued statements in support of the MNC’s decision to take legal action.

Audrey Poitras, president of the Metis Nation of Alberta, released a statement that said, “As a governing and founding member of MNC, the Métis Nation of Alberta fully supports President Caron and the MNC Board of Governors’ decision to take action.

“We are obligated to do what is right and necessary to restore accountability, transparency, and integrity to the MNC by moving forward with this litigation with a view to ensuring transparency and accountability and holding individuals responsible for their actions.”

Meanwhile, current MMF president Chatrand spoke to APTN, stating that the audit to which Caron was provided does not exist.

“If you have an audit, (if) you have so much you want to sue MMF, you want to sue David Chartrand, you want to sue Clement Chartier, you want to sue them, you believe it’s valued at $15 million, show us,” said Chartrand.

“You should have nothing to hide, nothing to fear because it scared you. It should scare all of us then.”

“There is no audit, that’s what I’m telling you,” he said.

Jacob Cardinal, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Alberta Native News

Rift between Metis leaders widens ahead of meetings with premiers, PM

Teresa Wright

David Chartrand, president of the Manitoba Metis Federation watches on as Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau holds a rally in Winnipeg, Saturday, Oct. 19, 2019. On the eve of First Ministers' meetings with national Indigenous leaders, the vice-president of the Metis National Council is stepping up his rhetoric against three provincial Metis leaders, accusing them of striking a "backroom deal" that allows new members into the nation he believes are not Metis. 

THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

March 10, 2020 - 1:00 AM

OTTAWA - The vice-president of the Metis National Council is stepping up his rhetoric against three provincial Metis leaders, accusing them of striking a "backroom deal" that allows new members into the nation he believes are not Metis.

The escalation is on the eve of a major meeting among Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, provincial premiers and national Indigenous leaders, where David Chartrand is to represent the Metis National Council as its national spokesperson.

Two separate gatherings are being held this week among Metis members, before the first ministers convene in Ottawa starting Thursday, and their divergent objectives highlight a growing rift between the leadership of the Metis National Council and the Metis leaders of Ontario, Alberta and Saskatchewan.

The leaders of the Metis Nation of Ontario, Metis Nation-Saskatchewan and the Metis Nation of Alberta say they do not want to be pulled into "distractions" from the work they are trying to do. In interviews, they said they want to continue progress they have made in gaining recognition and self-government rights from the federal government.

But meanwhile, Chartrand began a two-day forum on citizenship and identity in Saskatchewan Monday, with sessions on "Metis identity theft and cultural appropriation in Ontario and eastern Canada" and a "third invasion" of allegedly non-Metis people trying to gain official citizenship in the Metis Nation.

He said there is a lot of concern among those living on the Prairies about the way Ontario defines its members as Metis after an announcement in 2017 that six new Metis communities had been identified in the province.

The Manitoba Metis Federation, of which Chartrand is also president, commissioned a study of these new communities and Chartrand said Monday the findings suggest the residents are Algonquin and Ojibwe.

"They are attempting to be in both worlds and trying to say they're Metis ... They're not us, they're not connected to us," Chartrand said.

In November 2018 Chartrand brought these concerns about Ontario's membership registry to a general assembly and a resolution was passed placing Ontario's Metis group on probation and calling for an external committee to review its membership registry.

But the Ontario nation has refused to allow it, citing privacy concerns. Since then, the Metis National Council has issued proclamations saying Ontario has been suspended from the national body. But the leaders of Ontario, Alberta and Saskatchewan say this move was illegitimate, pointing to bylaws that say a member nation can only be suspended from the national council by vote of a general assembly.

No such general assembly has been held. Also, the national council has not held a board of governors meeting in over 16 months, despite repeated calls for one.

Chartrand said he hasn't called a board of governors meeting because he anticipates Ontario will show up expecting to have voting rights. He fears Alberta, Saskatchewan and Ontario will vote as a bloc and assume control over the national council.

Chartrand said his members have been asking why there is "divisiveness" among the provinces, but hopes people don't think of it as fighting — even as he called the co-operation among the three other leaders a "backroom deal."

He dismissed the notion it could have an impact on his ability to represent the Metis people as a whole at the upcoming first-ministers meetings.

"We can have differences of opinion, and these are strong differences of opinion because it's a very dangerous precedent they're trying to create, but it will never prevent me or the Metis National Council for pushing forward the agenda for all of our citizens."

Meanwhile the leaders of the Metis nations of Ontario, Alberta and Saskatchewan began their own two-day conference in Gatineau, Que., Monday to discuss working together on initiatives that will build upon self-governing agreements they each signed with Ottawa last June.

They say these agreements are significant milestone for their respective provincial nations in gaining recognition as Metis governments — a goal for generations of Metis peoples in Canada dating back to the days of the Louis Riel in the 1800s.

Alberta president Audrey Poitras acknowledged tensions between the three provincial nations and the Metis National Council, but said she and her counterparts from Saskatchewan and Ontario are choosing to focus on the steps being taken to recognize the Metis right of self-government.

"We choose to look at moving forward, not to look for divisions," Poitras said.

"I'm right now focusing on the positive of moving forward with the other two provinces to really focus on ... how do we move forward as fast as we can on something that our forefathers, our previous leaders, have worked so hard to get, the recognition that we so rightfully deserve?"

Ontario president Margaret Froh said she finds it frustrating the national council continues to call her provincial registry into question at meetings to which Ontario is not invited.

"It's too bad, but again, we're not being distracted by that work that's happening," Froh said.

"We really are truly focusing on these great opportunities that are in front of us and having real, meaningful conversations, which is why our three governments are coming together to talk about Metis self-governments and how all three of our governments are going to work together moving forward to make sure we bring that home for our people."

Saskatchewan president Glen McCallum said he doesn't believe there is any tension between the national body and his province. But after Chartrand called him out for rebuffing the national council forum this week in his own province and attending the meetings in Quebec with Ontario and Alberta instead, McCallum said the current leadership of the Metis National Council is "not in line with the bylaws and resolutions of the MNC."

"The MN-S (Metis-Nation of Saskatchewan) is committed to a path forward for self-government that we have chosen for ourselves and it is a path based on democracy, transparency, and accountability. We are working with the federal government to move forward the Metis government recognition and self-government agreements."

The three provincial leaders declared in January that the MNC "has become increasingly dysfunctional and unaccountable to its governing members and the Metis citizens."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 10, 2020

Marvel Denounces 'ALL' Anti-LGBTQ Laws After Disney's Botched Response to Florida's 'Don't Say Gay' Bill

Umberto Gonzalez 

© Provided by TheWrap Marvel Studios Open House

Marvel Studios has denounced "ALL" anti-LGBTQ laws after parent company Disney's botched response to Florida's "Don't Say Gay" bill.

"We strongly denounce any and ALL legislation that infringes on the basic human rights of the LGBTQIA+ community," Marvel Studios said in a statement on Twitter on Tuesday.

The company added: "Marvel Studios stands for hope, inclusivity and strength; and we proudly stand with the community. Today, we pledge to continue our strong commitment as allies who promote the values of equality, acceptance and respect."

Last week, Chapek and Disney leadership faced both internal and external backlash following the leak of the CEO's internal memo to employees explaining its decision not to speak out publicly against the "Don't Say Gay" bill.

While Chapek wrote that he and the rest of Disney leadership "unequivocally stand in support of our LGBTQ+ employees, their families, and their communities," he also said that "corporate statements do very little to change outcomes or minds. Instead, they are often weaponized by one side or the other to further divide and inflame."

"Simply put, they can be counterproductive and undermine more effective ways to achieve change," he continued.

The bill passed in the Florida Senate last week, and Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis has previously indicated that he intends to sign it into law.

END THE PRIVATIZATION OF PUBLIC ED
New funding for Alberta charter school expansion irks public education advocates

Janet French 

Alberta's premier says he wants to see a "flowering" of new charter schools across the province after loosening the rules for their creation.

Jason Kenney said he doesn't have a target number of charter schools in mind, but he wants to make it easier to meet parent demand.

"If we were to see a significant increase in additional charter schools or expansion of existing schools, we want the system to be flexible enough in its funding and administration to support that," he said at a news conference at Edmonton's Aurora Academic Charter School.

Kenney, along with his education and infrastructure ministers, talked up the funding set aside in the proposed 2022-23 provincial budget for the capital expenditures for and operation of charter schools.

The move drew ire Tuesday from advocates of public education, who say funding public schools should be the government's focus.

The chair of Edmonton's public school board called for public funding to charter schools to end.

There's $27 million in the proposed 2022-23 budget for buildings and leases for charter schools and vocational collegiates, and $6 million for additional operating and startup costs, with a promise of more dedicated dollars in the next two years.

The cash injection comes after the government lifted the provincial cap of 15 charter schools, and further loosened regulations to encourage community members to create more charter schools.

Since the United Conservative Party began the changes in 2019, two new charters have opened, bringing the number of operating schools to 15. Organizers have proposed at least two more.

The province also wants charters to consider forming "hubs" or campuses, where multiple schools could cluster together and share gymnasium space or sports fields, Kenney said.

Space is tight at Aurora, superintedent says

One of the schools to receive new capital funding is Aurora, Education Minister Adriana LaGrange said. Since its inception 27 years ago, the K-9 school of 864 students has aimed to offer high school classes.

The government will help Aurora find building space to lease to make that happen this fall, LaGrange  said.

© Janet French/ CBC

 News Aurora superintendent Ian Gray, left, and board chair Arlene Huhn say they're pleased to see charter schools begin to receive equivalent funding as public schools.

It's gratifying news for Ian Gray, Aurora's superintendent. Since 2007, the school has operated out of an adapted public school building, and Gray said space is tight.

There are 3,000 names on the school's waiting list, he said.

When he was principal, "parents would come and they'd beg; they would beg to get in," he said.

He'd like to find another campus for some of the K-9 students, so Aurora could grow to accommodate demand, he said.

Parents say constantly they wish their children could stay in their school beyond Grade 9, said board chair Arlene Huhn. When the school finds a suitable space, Grade 10 classes will start in September, Huhn said.

However, public education advocates were frustrated by Tuesday's announcement. There is an ongoing clash about whether charter schools should be considered "public."

Trisha Estabrooks, chair of the Edmonton Public School Board, said it "stings a little bit" to see her large, and fast-growing division be shut out of new school construction funding for two consecutive years while charter schools get money to grow.

Even with two new high schools in south Edmonton, the division projects a demographic bulge of teens overflowing those classrooms by 2027.

When the Ralph Klein government created charters in 1994, they were supposed to be incubators to test approaches that could be incorporated into public schools, Estabrooks said.

"I think it's an experiment, quite frankly, that's run its course," she said. "I would like to see the end of publicly funded charter schools."

The Alberta Teachers' Association (ATA), Public Interest Alberta and the Opposition NDP all decried the investments.

"Government funding to expand charter schools is simply an effort at privatization at the expense of our public education system," ATA president Jason Schilling said in a statement.

Do Insects Have Brains?

BY ORLANDO JENKINSON 

ON 3/1/22 

There are an estimated 10 quintillion (10,000,000,000,000,000,000) insects alive on Earth, making them one of the planet's most abundant creatures. The biggest known insect, the giant weta, weighed in at 71g, while the smallest is a type of parasitic wasp that measures just 0.005 inches in length.

But do these tiny creatures have brains inside their tiny heads?

The short answer is yes—and they may contain hidden depths of intelligence that the scientists are only beginning to understand.

What are insect brains like?

Lars Chittka, a professor in sensory and behavioral ecology at Queen Mary University of London, U.K., told Newsweek insects have "beautifully elaborate" brains.

"They differ from mammalian brains in many ways. One of the most obvious ones is that they are smaller. But they are not necessarily less complex or sophisticated.

"The networks in insect brains can be extremely finely branched and complex. The pattern might be as advanced as a fully-grown oak tree. Every individual cell can contact up to 10,000 other brain cells. So the computational network of insect brains can be very complex.

"They are smaller and more accessible for neuroscientists. But we're very far from understanding them comprehensively because even though it's easier than say a human brain to study it's still far too complex at the present stage to understand in its entirety."

How intelligent are insects?

Bees pull string for reward in a scientific experiment. Professor Lars Chittka said the study showed behavior akin to tool use.

SYLVAIN ALEM AND LARS CHITTKA

Scientists have known for 100 years that insects can learn things. For example, we know insects that have homes—such as ants, bees and wasps—can travel miles away from their base and find their way back again.

There are also cases of what appears to be conscious decision-making among some insects.

"Bees, for example, have to be very intelligent shoppers in the flower supermarket," Chittka said. "Different flowers offer different qualities and quantities of nectar and pollen and bees are very good at learning about the rewards to be expected in flower species and then associate their colors, patterns and odors that flowers display, memorize them and use that as predictors of rewards."

Scientists have also carried out intelligence tests on insects that had previously been used on primates and birds.

"We discovered that bees count landmarks between their hive and their food source," Chittka said. "Bees can be trained to recognize images of human faces. More recently we've trained them to manipulate objects in a manner equivalent to tool use.

"Bees learnt to pull strings to gain access to a reward that was visible but not accessible. Moreover they could learn such skills by learning from each other. An individual trained with that skill could spread that learning to an entire population."

Research has also shown intelligence in other insect species. Ants, for example, move around using various different "modules" of their brains, including one dedicated to retracing their steps or backtracking. Ants have also been found to use tools to transport liquid food to their colony by soaking materials in the food and taking it back for later consumption.

One study published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B showed complex social behavior in paper wasps. The insects were found to recognize individuals in their colony, appreciate attributes such as relative strength associated with a particular wasp and form social hierarchies based on that knowledge.

Could insects be conscious?

Studies have shown the animals exhibit various signs of intelligence from tool use to emotionality.

BIGMIKEPHOTO/GETTY IMAGES

While amazing, these behaviors could be compared to machine learning—even facial recognition is now the domain of everyday machines like smartphones.

But could insect intelligence incorporate consciousness?

While there is no straightforward test to define consciousness in animals other than humans, evidence increasingly suggests it exists in other species. Even insects.

Chittka and his colleagues conducted experiments on bees that suggested the animals could feel optimistic.

Other researchers have also found evidence of something approaching consciousness in other insects.

Christof Koch, from the California Institute of Technology, told Discover Magazine he stopped killing insects needlessly after learning more about their intelligence. He also said there was a chance some insects such as cockroaches and bees could be conscious due complex formations known as mushroom structures in their brains, which are key to memory formation and processing experiences.

"Probably what consciousness requires is a sufficiently complicated system with massive feedback. Insects have that. If you look at the mushroom bodies, they're massively parallel and have feedback," he told the website.

The next frontier for insect intelligence is now exploring states of consciousness and emotions in the animals.

"If we use the same indicators of emotional states as commonly accepted in domesticated animals, then these qualify as indicators of emotional states," Chittka said. "That indicates that there might be a sentience. But we're putting more pieces of the puzzle together."

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INSECT ARMAGEDDON 

Invasive Deadly Ant Discovered in Indiana for First Time

An invasive, deadly ant has been discovered by insect experts in Indiana, having ventured the farthest north it has ever been.

The Asian Needle Ant has been spreading throughout the U.S.

Robyn White 

The Asian needle ant originally evolved in Asia but was first found in the U.S. in the 1930s. Since then, the species has gradually been spreading throughout the states. They are now found in North Carolina, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Virginia, Connecticut, Tennessee and New York.

However this invasive species has now been documented in Indiana for the first time ever, in the Evansville area, The Indianapolis Star reported. And it could be lethal to some people.

Timothy Gibb, a Purdue University entomologist told The Indianapolis Star that usually, stings from this ant will just "hurt like crazy." However for those who are allergic to insect stings from bees or wasps should carry an EpiPen, an auto-injectable device that delivers epinephrine, with them to arm themselves against the ant, Gibb said.

According to North Carolina State University, an Asian needle ant sting is more likely to cause an allergic reaction than the venom in a honey bee's sting.

Gibb said it is the first ant to be found in Indiana that has a stinger and venom sac. Currently, there are six other ant species found in Indiana.

"Other ants will bite, but this is really new," he told The Indianapolis Star.

This type of ant can also infest homes where food is present. This means there is a likelihood of people being stung in infested areas.

A species is invasive when it thrives in an environment it is not native to, and has the potential to cause harm to the ecosystems in an area.

While their colonies are not as large as some ant species, the Asian needle ants can live nearly anywhere, causing them to thrive in many environments. They can live in forested areas, nesting under rocks and leaves, or they can live in urban neighborhoods. They have been found nesting under doormats and in plant pots.

The ant species also has a varied diet. It eats termites but will also digest other ants and human trash.

Gibb told The Indianapolis Star that because the ant can infest homes, that will increase its ability to survive in Indiana's cold winter temperatures.

"It also increases the probability of it moving with people, hitchhiking," he said.

Gibb said people in the state should not panic, but they need to be aware of the risks the ant will introduce.

Despite it being lethal to some, North Carolina State University said this ant does the greatest harm to the ecosystems it invades.

Ants maintain vital roles in maintaining their native ecosystems. Ants can turn and aerate soil, which allows oxygen to reach the routes of plants. However this invasive species will potentially exclude the native ant species in the state, by eating them or their food. The invasive ant may also take over nest sites, driving out the native ants.

Exclusive: India boosts fertiliser imports from Canada, Israel as Russian supply disrupted

By Nidhi Verma and Rajendra Jadhav

© Reuters/ANUSHREE FADNAVIS 

 Shipping Minister Mansukh Mandaviya poses for a picture after his interview with Reuters, in New Delhi

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India is boosting fertiliser imports from nations including Canada and Israel to ensure sufficient supplies for the coming summer sowing season after the disruption of shipments caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

India is a leading importer of fertilisers for its huge agriculture sector, which employs about 60% of the country's workforce and accounts for 15% of the $2.7 trillion economy.

"This time we have made advance preparations for kharif (summer sown crop) season. We need about 30 million tonnes of fertilisers and arrangements are in place," fertiliser minister Mansukh Mandaviya told Reuters, without elaborating.

He said India will have a comfortable opening stock, about a quarter of the overall amount of fertilisers needed for the summer season.

Indian farmers usually start planting crops including rice, cotton and soybean with the arrival of monsoon rains in June.

To fertilise the crops, India depends on imports for its entire annual consumption of 4 million to 5 million tonnes of potash and ships in a third of this from Belarus and Russia.

Landlocked Belarus uses ports in Russia and Lithuania for its exports.

Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, shipping routes have been closed off and western sanctions on Moscow, which has described its actions in Ukraine as a "special military operation", have made it difficult to trade with Russian and Belarusian companies.

Indian Potash Ltd (IPL) has increased imports from Canada, Israel and Jordan.

It will buy 1.2 million tonnes of Potash from Canada, 600,000 tonnes from Israel and 300,000 from Jordan in 2022 to partly replace supply from Russia and Belarus, numerous sources said.

A senior industry official who declined to be named said IPL was trying to ensure that "a substantial amount of shipments" arrive before June to prevent any shortage during the sowing season.

India was close to signing a three-year fertiliser import deal with Russia during Mandaviya's visit to Moscow planned for this month. The visit was postponed following the Ukraine invasion, which began on Feb. 24.

One of the sources said India may try again to sign the deal "when the situation improves".

Traditionally India has used prices struck in deals with Belarus and Russia as the benchmark for supplies from other countries. For 2022, Canada has emerged as a price setter, the sources said.

IPL is buying potash from companies in Canada and Israel at $590 per tonne on a delivered basis with six months credit in 2022. IPL declined to comment.

India also relies on Russia and Belarus for complex fertilisers that provide more than one crop nutrient.

To help make up for any lost supplies of nitrogen, phosphate and potash, Indian companies are also increasing supplies from Saudi Arabia and Morocco, the sources said.

(Reporting by Nidhi Verma; editing by Barbara Lewis)

Adjournment for 4 Alberta border protesters charged with conspiracy to commit murder

LETHBRIDGE — Four men charged with conspiracy to commit murder after arrests at last month's border blockade in southern Alberta made brief court appearances Tuesday.

 

© Provided by The Canadian Press

Christopher Lysak, 48, is also charged with uttering threats, possession of a weapon and mischief to property over $5,000.

He had already been denied bail.

Lysak — along with Chris Carbert, Anthony Olienick and Jerry Morin — is to return to Lethbridge provincial court on March 28.

Defence lawyers requested the two-week adjournment and there was no objection from the prosecution.

"The Crown wants them all kept together," said prosecutor Steve Johnston.

Bail hearings for Lysak's three co-accused haven't been held yet.

The protest against COVID-19 vaccine mandates and other pandemic restrictions went on for almost three weeks on the U.S. border near Coutts, Alta.

Thirteen people were charged after RCMP found a cache of long guns, handguns, body armour, large amounts of ammunition and high-capacity magazines in three trailers.

Two tactical vests seized displayed badges, which the Canadian Anti-Hate Network said have links to troubling movements. One vest had a "Diagolon" patch on it, a white diagonal line across a black rectangle, which the network has said is linked to an often conspiratorial and antisemitic group.

Police said the threat was "very serious" and the group was willing to use force if the blockade was disrupted.

Outside court Tuesday, about 20 people gathered in support of the accused who are still in custody and others who had been charged. Some were waving Canadian flags while others carried signs that read "Drop the charges," "Scapegoat tactics are an abuse of the law" and "Truckers exposed Ottawa's tyranny."

Tony Hall, who found the group We the People YQL, decried "this effort to criminalize the Coutts 13 and treat them as terrorists and people who are so reprehensible."

"It's really ruthless the way the effort is to build up this image."

Hall, a former University of Lethbridge professor, helped form We the People, which began as a group protesting pandemic restrictions. Its website says it continues to fight to preserve people's fundamental charter rights.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 15, 2022.

Bill Graveland, The Canadian Press

Quebec students feel there's 'no future' for them due to religious symbols law, study suggests

Laura Marchand 
CBC

A new study looking into how university students feel about Quebec's religious symbols law is painting a bleak picture, with many saying they've lost faith in the province and plan to leave.

The study, completed by researchers from two Montreal-based universities, asked post-secondary students, recent graduates and prospective students about their feelings on Bill 21.

The bill, also known as Quebec's Laicity Act, became law in June 2019. It banned some civil servants, including teachers, police officers and government prosecutors, from wearing religious symbols at work within the province.

The study acknowledged the sample size is "relatively small" — 629 respondents, polled from Oct. 2020 through to Nov. 2021 — and has a "strong possibility of selection bias," as those who feel more strongly about Bill 21 are more likely to have responded to the survey.

However, the authors noted that respondents were "relatively diverse" and attended both French and English institutions from across the province.

Only about 28 per cent of respondents said they wore some form of religious symbol.

"We were expecting a more balanced diversity of responses. We thought we would get more people in favour of the law," said Elizabeth Elbourne, an associate professor of history at McGill and one of the researchers behind the study.

"There's a really interesting generational gap. We were quite struck."
'I have no future in Quebec'

Respondents in Elbourne's study were invited to write-in additional comments. Many said they experienced increased racism since the law was introduced.

"I think that the bill — despite the fact that many people don't mean it this way — in practice, can give permission to discriminate," she said.

© Jay Turnbull/CBC

 Elizabeth Elbourne, an associate professor of history at McGill and one of the researchers behind the study, said the existence of the law seems to have led to more discrimination.

Over 34 per cent of respondents — including those who did not wear a religious symbol — reported experiencing increased discrimination since the law was passed. That number jumps to 56.5 per cent for those who do wear religious symbols.

"It used to happen to me occasionally. Now it happens almost every time I go out," said one Université de Montréal student who wears a hijab.

One McGill education student described seeing Bill 21 invoked in the classroom while on a work placement during their studies.

"[I] watched students and the teacher ridicule a Muslim girl for wearing a hijab. The teacher said with Bill 21, you can't dress like that," the respondent wrote. "The girl was mortified and silent and just 11 years old."

Even those outside of law and education, the fields most impacted by the law, reported feeling its effects.

"I have had some job interviews where I could immediately tell that the person lost interest in my application as soon as they saw me with my headscarf," said a Concordia engineering student.
Moving provinces seen as 'only solution'

As a result, 69.5 per cent of the students polled who wear a religious symbol said they were likely to leave the province for work.

"I didn't even get a chance to start my career properly," lamented one McGill education student who wears a hijab.

"The only solution I am strongly considering is to move to another province."

Weeam Ben Rejeb is one of those considering the move. The McGill law student hoped to become a prosecutor, but would be banned due to her hijab.

© Jay Turnbull/CBC 

McGill law student Weeam Ben Rejeb first read the study on Tuesday. She is also planning to leave the province to practice, since she would be banned from doing so in Quebec due to her hijab.

"Even though I could practice in the private sector, it's more about what this law is saying about me," she said.

Ben Rejeb described Bill 21 as an "insult," saying it suggested that she wouldn't be able to do her job because of what she chose to wear.

"It's extremely offensive," she said. "We are essentially saying we're not intelligent enough or impartial enough to be able to be neutral judges or teachers."
Can't work with 'clean conscience'

They're not the only ones considering leaving.

Forty-six per cent of the students who don't wear religious symbols said they were also planning to leave Quebec due to Bill 21, saying they don't want to participate in a system that discriminates against their colleagues.

"I refuse to work in a place where my peers cannot or will be punished for expressing themselves," said one education student.

"I don't feel that I can be a teacher here in Quebec and have a clean conscience while doing so," wrote another.

"I chose Canada because I believed their laws aligned with my liberal beliefs," wrote a Concordia law student who does not wear a religious symbol. "Now I am very disappointed and rethinking everything."

Elbourne, the researcher who worked on the study, said she sees the potential exodus of students having a "serious impact" on the province's education system.

"I think it's going to make it harder to recruit teachers. And I also think, if we're looking at the people leaving — are people from the outside going to want to come to Quebec?" Elbourne said.

As for how they feel about Quebec, 70.3 per cent of all respondents said they had a worse perception of the province since the law passed.

"I despise Quebec now," wrote one McGill education student who wears a hijab. "A province which has absolutely no respect for me or my people to the point that they'd like to take my livelihood away deserves no love."

"We're racist af (as f--k)," wrote another.
Some support for Bill 21, survey shows

Not everyone was against the law, however. While the study notes that the "vast majority of people … were critical or divided" on Bill 21, there were also those who supported the measure.

One McGill education student hoped the bill would "encourage all faiths to embrace secular civic life" in Quebec.

"Hopefully we will see a new era in which students are able to attend school without being subjected to symbols of patriarchal religious oppression on their teachers," they wrote.

One McGill law student said their family "escaped" a country that forced women to wear the hjiab. "We are free here," they wrote.

A PhD student in education at McGill said they came from a conservative and religious part of the United States and would like to see something similar there.

"[Bill 21] is a wonderful step towards women's liberation and freedom," they wrote. "I wish my state would pass a similar bill."

Ben Rejeb, the law student, acknowledged that Bill 21 does have widespread support in the province — especially in more rural regions — but questioned why that was.

"If all that you know about Muslims is what you see on TV … then it makes sense why you might have these fears," she said.

Ben Rejeb said that with more education, she believes that most Quebecers would change their minds about supporting the law, though she fears many have already moved on.

"I feel like most of my peers, and Quebec society in general, has kind of forgotten about this and is going on with their lives and not really thinking about it because it doesn't affect them personally," she said.

"All of us who are living in Quebec right now are complicit in allowing this bill to continue to exist."